"In the fifth grade, I joined the school music program...By the time they got around to me, all that was left was a trumpet."

Ann Arbor native and award-winning trumpeter Jesse McGuire, not to be confused with Jerry Maguire, (something he says he gets more often than he'd like to admit), caused a few thousand goosebumps while performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the NFL Playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers earlier this year.

Throughout the years, McGuire has had the honor and privilege of performing, touring and recording with some of the world's biggest musicians, including Elton John, Paul Simon, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Seal and Hootie and the Blowfish.

McGuire, who is the youngest of 12 siblings, comes from a musical family, so it seems only natural that he’d carry on the tradition.

“My father played blues harmonica and my mother was a singer/poet,” he said. “I have nine sisters, all of whom at one time or another sang or played an instrument. I also have two brothers; one was a songwriter.”

Although learning to play the trumpet came naturally for McGuire, the story about how it happened is quite amusing to say the least.

Jesse McGuire holding the NATAS Emmy Award that he won back in 2009 for Best On-Camera Talent -Â Performer/Narrator. Courtesy Photo

“In the fifth grade, I joined the school music program,” he recalls. “I wanted to play the snare drum but couldn’t afford a musical instrument, so I had to join the school rental program. By the time they got around to me, all that was left was a trumpet."

So how exactly did McGuire become the go-to guy for performing the national anthem at various different sporting events? It all started back in 1989 when McGuire heard that the Phoenix Suns were holding open auditions for someone to play the anthem at one of their games.

When McGuire called to inquire about the gig, he was connected to a gentleman by the name of Stan Richards, who informed him the auditions had actually been held the day before. After begging and pleading, Richards told McGuire that if he could get a cassette tape of himself playing the national anthem to his office by 5 p.m., he’d consider it.

But there was a problem, two actually: 1) McGuire didn’t have a cassette tape of himself playing the national anthem and 2) It was already 4:30 p.m.

Racing into the bathroom and tossing everything out into the hallway, McGuire stepped into his empty bathtub, (many musicians enjoy singing/playing in the bathroom because it provides great acoustics), and began recording himself playing “The Star Spangled Banner.”

“I jumped into the car and broke every traffic law in Arizona, arriving just in time to see Stan Richards lock his office door and walk to his car. I rushed over to him and handed him the tape,” he explained. “Finally, when I returned home, the phone was ringing. It was Stan. He asked me two questions: ‘Can you play that high all the time?’ and ‘Can you be at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum tomorrow night at 7?' And the rest is history."

Speaking of history, McGuire has been busy making his mark on the industry for almost four decades now. Back in June of 1976, for example, he served as a trumpeter and vocalist in the statewide tour of “The Sounds of 76,” a production about the celebration of our nation's bicentennial. Out of the 120 students that were selected from approximately 6,000 applicants, McGuire was the only African-American male.

Jesse McGuire playing the national anthem at Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers NBA game in 2003. Courtesy Photo

One would think that after playing in front of huge crowds for decades, nerves would be a thing of the past. Wrong. In order to keep from getting too nervous right before a performance, McGuire said he looks at each one as "just another gig. Otherwise, the magnitude of the event will overwhelm me.”

Even after performing for three presidents (Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush), playing at the Carnegie Hall and touring all over the world, McGuire said there are still two things that remain on his bucket list: opening for the Rolling Stones and performing at the Super Bowl.

“Nothing else carries the clout, the hype and the universal exposure that the Super Bowl does,” he said. “Now, regarding the Rolling Stones? I just think it would be a blast to open a Stones concert. I would love to do a rock concert, and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Stones! I'd blow the roof off the stadium!”

The kindest thing someone has ever told him, he says, is that after hearing him perform live in a jazz club, they instantaneously made the decision to never touch drugs again.

"I am absolutely humbled, considering the fact that there are so many more qualified trumpet players who can do what I do," he said. "I love the fact that my music has taken me to places that previously, I had only read about in books and brochures. My music has opened doors not only for me but for my wife and children as well."

To learn more about McGuire, visit his official website. And here's a video of the performance that had everyone talking back in January:

Princess Gabbara is an entertainment intern for The Ann Arbor News. You can reach her at pgabbara@mlive.com.